Blurred Lines
by NoIdeasAndScrunchedUpPaper
Summary: Scarlet is a member of Claw's group of cats that roams the forest that lies beside the twoleg place, she will do anything to protect her group. Her life evolves only around her group, but she starts to realise that her life was about to change when she meets young Cut Throat...
1. Allegiances

Allegiances

Claw's Cats

Claw- Scrawny dark brown tom with torn ears and a battle-scarred face

Whiskers- Huge black and white tom with ice blue eyes and a short stumpy tail

Blizzard- long furred pure white tom with yellow eyes and a scar down his back

Bleed- dark ginger tabby tom with blood red eyes

Cleo- golden she cat with spotted hind legs and fierce amber eyes

Rose- orange tabby she cat with black paws and blue eyes

Clover- brown tabby she cat with a cream coloured underbelly and green eyes, mother of Storm's kits: Scarlet (dark ginger she cat with blue eyes) and Thistle (long furred dark grey tom with green eyes)

Storm- grey tom with soft white paws and a long bushy tail

Sparrow- young black tom with a brown chest, underbelly and paws

Moon- young black she cat with white ear tips and silver eyes

Thicket's Cats

Thicket- bushy golden brown tabby tom with a white muzzle and amber eyes

Fox- reddish brown tom with black paws and a black tipped tail

Mouse- small grey tom with white splotches

Lily- pale brown she cat with darker paws

Blossom- tortoiseshell-and-white she cat with yellow eyes

Husk- muscular long furred grey tom with broad shoulders and a nick in one ear

Blaze- young white and ginger tabby tom


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Sunlight dappled the forest floor as a light breeze swept across the hollow, carrying scents of flowers and leaves. Scarlet crouched down, flicking her tail as she watched the mouse from a tail length away as it nibbled hungrily on a beechnut. _Crouch. Wait. Leap. Bite._ Storm's instructions played again and again in Scarlet's mind as she worked her claws on the ground. Why does hunting have to be so hard? She took a step forward.

Crack!

A twig cracked under her paw as the mouse took off almost immediately, bolting through the dense undergrowth. Flattening her ears, she took off after the mouse. Her paws hit hard against the ground as she maneuvered through the forest, the wind brushing against her pelt. For a moment she felt free like a bird, until she hit the tree. Pain surged through Scarlet's head as she toppled unsteadily onto the grass, watching as the mouse ran for cover into its burrow among the roots. Bristling, she hissed with annoyance.

"What do you think you're doing?" a familiar voice jerked Scarlet right up as she turned to see her father, Storm, with a squirrel. Scarlet ducked her head as her father's gaze burned her pelt.

"Stand up," Storm demanded as he poked Scarlet with a claw as Scarlet bolted straight up. "What do you think you were doing? You waited too long when you were watching your prey, and for goodness sake, were you looking at where you were going? You ran into a tree!" Scarlet looked at her paws in shame. Was her hunting really that bad? She looked up at the sound of pawsteps as her brother, Thistle, came bounding noisily into the hollow, his once soft grey fur now prickly with burrs, as he carried a mouthful of tiny shrews with him, his eyes gleaming with triumph. Scarlet's fur bristled. Even her useless good for nothing brother had caught something. Her brother! Just then, their mother, Clover, padded into view, a plump pigeon in her jaws. The brown tabby she cat placed her freshkill down as pressed against Storm, licking his ear, "Oh don't be so hard on her, Storm. They're still kits. Besides, Thistle and Scarlet are a bit too young to learn how to hunt."

Storm grunted, "What will the other group think when they see that our kits can't even hunt a mouse. They'll be ready to steal our prey anytime!" Scarlet opened her mouth but closed it again when she saw Sparrow running towards them. Storm ran to meet the young tom, "What is it? What happened? Speak Sparrow!" Sparrow drew in a deep breath.

"It's them! Thicket's cats! They are invading our camp!"

...

"Invading?" Storm gasped, he unsheathed his claws. "I'll be right there!"

"Yes. Hurry!" Sparrow gasped for breath as he ran away. Storm turned to Clover, "Keep the kits safe." He brushed his fur against Clover's and twined his tail with his. Clover breathed, "Be safe." Storm dipped his head as he headed towards where Sparrow had gone. Scarlet stared after him with round eyes, "Is there going to be a battle, Clover?" Clover's eyes softened, "Don't worry dear, your father is brave. He is going to be fine." Yowling broke out from a distant away as Clover stiffened, "We have to get back to the camp!" Scarlet felt a lump form at the back of her throat as Clover lifted her and her brother up by their scruffs and ran towards the camp.

Scarlet turned to see Thistle squirm under their mother's grasp. "What about the prey?" he whimpered as he batted the air with his small grey paws. Clover didn't answer. Leaves hit against Scarlet's face as they burst through the forest and out into a clearing. Camp. Just as Clover was about to run towards a juniper bush where they had usually rested during the night, she halted in her pawsteps and sniffed the air. Immediately, she swirled around to see a white and ginger tabby tom. The tom padded forward, a sly smile creeping up his face, "Hello, _Clover_."

Clover dropped her two kits. Scarlet winced as she hit the ground while Thistle whimpered with fear. Scarlet looked up, expecting her mother to calm them down but she barely took a glance at them. Instead, Clover snarled, "Blaze! What are you and your group doing here?"

"You know very well, Clover," the tom spat. "We are here to take back what's ours!"

"The forest belongs to us!" Clover snarled as she leaped at the tom with her claws outstretched. Scarlet fluffed up her fur in fear as she watched her mother wrestle the tom to the ground as the tom clawed her fur with razor sharp claws. Yowling and hissing ricocheted through the air as the two the cats fought for their lives. In the midst of the fighting, Scarlet saw her mother's head perk up, as she looked towards them, "Go! Run!" Scarlet looked at Thistle. Thistle looked at her with wide eyes as they bolted towards the juniper bush. Scarlet cowered deeper into the soft ferns that covered the ground as she peeped out from a small hole. There, through the hole, was their mother, lying on the ground unmoving as blood pooled around her. Scarlet's mouth quivered, "Mama?" Thistle pressed against his sister, as if he had seen the same. They watched with wet eyes as a grey tom, their father, his fur matted with blood as protruded from the thick undergrowth and ran towards their mother. They watched as he struck his claws across the tabby tom's neck as the tom ran away. The air thickened with grief as their father crouched beside the still body of their mother, yowling his head off as he buried his face in the tabby she cat's fur. Scarlet felt tears form in her eyes.

Clover was dead.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Three moons later…

The ice-cold floor froze Scarlet to the bone as she padded through the dark streets. Hunger churned her stomach as the pungent odour of crowfood flooded her nostrils. Three moons it had been since the battle and her group was now living among the twolegs and their monsters at the twoleg place. A flickering street lamp was the only thing lighting her way to the abandoned dump, the place where her group had made home. In her jaws was a scrawny tattered crow, the only prey she had since two sunrises. If only they had still lived in the forest.

Scarlet turned around through a dark alley as strays turned down to look at her, their glowing eyes scorching her pelt as she padded past. Of course they were envious of her crow for prey was scarce in the twoleg place. Scarlet turned to look at a thin and scrawny old brown tom who was looking at her with much envy as saliva dripped from the sides of his mouth. I'm sorry, she silently apologised. I would give my freshkill to you if I could but my family needs it more. She focused her gaze on the path ahead and padded away. The dark and ominous alley soon widened to an abandoned dump. It was well hidden away from twolegs, making it an ideal camp for her group. Around the dump surrounded a wire fence and right in the middle of the fence was a hole, the entrance to their camp. Guarding the entrance was Blizzard and Bleed, the two strongest cats of their group. Despite their strength, their pelts still clung to their ribs and their pelts were matted and yellow. As Scarlet neared the entrance, they dipped their heads, "Hello Scarlet."

"Is that a crow?" asked Bleed as he licked his lips. Bending down, he opened his mouth, wanting to take a sneak bite. Scarlet turned her head away, "Get your own prey!" Bleed hissed with irritation as he stepped away from the entrance, letting Scarlet pass. Scarlet dipped her head and padded into the camp. She turned towards a huge green rubbish bin where her brother had made his nest. Now that they were older, they were allowed to make their own nest. Scarlet heaved a sigh of relief. At least now they didn't have to sleep with their father who had became more hostile and ferocious ever since Clover died. Scarlet bent down to see Thistle nestling on a soft patch of dust and sand under the bin. His eyes stretched wide open the moment Scarlet arrived. He looked at scarlet with annoyance as if she had just woke him up from a nice dream, but his eyes immediately gleamed at the sight of the crow. He purred, "Prey! It's been two sunrises since I've eaten!"

Scarlet blinked, "Well, you can have it then." It's been two sunrises since she had eaten too. She looked down at her paws as her belly growled. Never mind, she told herself. I can eat tomorrow. She placed the crow down as Thistle eyed it hesitantly, "You don't want to eat?" Scarlet shook her head. Thistle took a bite and then wolfed the rest down. Pushing away the bones, he coughed a feather out.

"You don't have to help me you know. _I'm_ the one who is supposed to protect you," Thistle flicked his tail. Scarlet bristled, "I can take care of myself thanks. But if you want, you can always take care of Storm." Thistle flattened his ears and hissed as he squeezed out from under the bin, "Don't talk about father like that! He's just sad that Clover died and he wasn't there to protect her."

"Aren't we all?" Scarlet rolled her eyes. "Who cares about him anyways? We take care of ourselves now." Scarlet lifted up her chin. Thistle shoved Scarlet playfully, "But I still care about you. Come on, Claw asked me to go for a patrol with Sparrow when you were gone." They padded to the entrance where Sparrow had been waiting. He narrowed his eyes when he saw Scarlet, "Is she coming too?"

"What's wrong with her coming?" Thistle raised an eyebrow questioningly. Sparrow answered with a flick of his tail before setting off. They padded through the alley and back onto a path beside the Thunderpath. Just as they were about to cross, a monster zoomed past, filling the air with thick black smoke. Scarlet coughed. Thistle pressed onto his sister, "Are you okay?" Scarlet shoved him away, "I'm fine! Stop getting into my fur would you?" Thistle cast her a hurt look before padding away. Scarlet hissed as she padded after him. Just as they were about to arrive at the Thunderpath that lied between the twoleg place and the forest, the smell of a cat wafted into Scarlet's nostrils. Sparrow bristled, "An intruder!" Thistle unsheathed his claws, "Stay here with Sparrow, I'll go and settle the intruder." Scarlet twitched her whiskers with annoyance as Thistle slunk into the shadows and crept behind the twoleg building. Soon, hissing and growling rang through the air. Scarlet glanced at Sparrow before leaping behind the building to see Thistle pinning a white and ginger tabby tom down. Scarlet winced when she saw a scar cut across his neck. As she padded beside Thistle, she noticed that something about the intruder's pelt seemed familiar. Sparrow padded after Scarlet. He gritted his teeth when he saw the intruder, "What is _he_ doing here?"

Thistle snarled as he faced the intruder, flexing his claws as he pinned the tom harder to the ground. The tom writhed under the grey tom's grasp, his eyes blazing with fury. Sparrow turned to look at the tom, "Well? What are you doing here, _Cut Throat_?" The tom hissed, "My name's not Cut Throat. You know very well that it's Blaze, _Sparrow._ " Thistle placed an unsheathed paw on the tom's neck, "You didn't answer the question!" Thistle bared his teeth.

"Stop! Don't hurt him!" Scarlet pushed Thistle away. "Being hostile and dangerous won't work. He's probably just making a fool of himself here." Thistle flattened his ears as he watched the intruder stand up. Sparrow frowned and turned away, "Whatever." Scarlet leaned against the tom as he stood up weakly, "Are you okay?" The tom looked up. Their eyes met for a moment as the tom purred, "I'm fine. Why your eyes are beautiful." Scarlet blinked, surprised by his reaction, "Errr… Thanks and stuff?" Thistle rolled his eyes as he poked the intruder with an outstretched claw, "Come on, let's bring you back to your group. Sparrow, bring my sister back." Sparrow nodded as they watched Thistle nosed him away.

"Please, what's your name?" the tom called out, turning around to meet Scarlet's eyes. Scarlet flicked an ear, "I'm Scarlet." The tom purred, lifting up a paw, "Well Scarlet, I hope I can see you again soon. Goodbye, and take care!" He turned around and padded away as Thistle shoved him forward. As she watched the two cats pad away, Scarlet felt as if her head were filled with stars.


End file.
